Vented no-spill drinking bottle, bottle cap and associated bottle and pouch system

ABSTRACT

A vented bottle or bottle cap that typically includes two one-way valves. The first one-way valve vents the bottle while fluid exits the bottle, and the second one-way valve prevents spillage. The vented bottle or bottle cap may be configured for use with a conventional sports bottle, a conventional soft drink or water bottle, or a specially designed bottle with a vent tube near the bottom of the bottle. The vented bottle cap may also be used in conjunction with a pouch system that allows a user to fill a pouch with fluid while the pouch is securely supported within the bottle. In this manner, a user can carry pouches, such as foil or plastic pouches, with desired ingredients, such as a water purifying chemical, a flavor ingredient, electrolytes, medicines and so forth. A pump may be used to deliver water from a water supply into the pouch while the pouch is supported within the bottle.

PRIORITY CLAIM TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 10/860,203 filed on Jun. 3, 2004 and U.S.Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/076,143 filed on Mar. 9,2003, which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of drinking bottles and, moreparticularly, to a vented, no-spill drinking bottle and bottle cap thatsolve the problems of spillage and vacuum formation when drinking fromthe bottle. The invention also relates to a refillable bottle and pouchsystem using a vented, no-spill drinking bottle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Having a vacuum form in a drinking bottle, as occurs with presentlyavailable sports bottles, makes drinking from the bottle somewhatdifficult. This problem is exacerbated in rigid bottles, such as glassbottles. Spillage is also a problem with many conventional drinkingvessels.

Existing products configured prevent spillage and vacuum formation, suchas the “sippy cup” familiar to moms and dads, use a two-port removablediaphragm to balance pressure within the container and prevent spillagethrough the diaphragm. This approach is somewhat complex to manufacture,and also presents problems with cleaning and often losing the removablediaphragm. In addition, this technology is not well suited for use witha standard sports bottle. As a result, a need exists for a no-spill,vented drinking bottle suitable for use as a sports bottle. There is afurther need for a device for retrofitting a standard drinking bottle asa no-spill, vented drinking bottle. In addition, drinking bottles withregulated and adjustable flow rates are not presently unavailable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the problems described through a ventedbottles and bottle caps that typically includes two one-way valves. Thefirst one-way valve vents the bottle while fluid exits the bottle, andthe second one-way valve prevents spillage. A first embodiment of thevented bottle cap is configured for use with a conventional sportsbottle, a second embodiment is configured for use with a conventionalsoft drink or water bottle, and a third embodiment includes a drinkingbottle with a vent near the bottom of the bottle. The vented bottle capmay also be used in conjunction with a pouch system that allows a userto fill a pouch with fluid while the pouch is securely supported withinthe bottle. In this manner, a user can carry pouches, such as foil orplastic pouches, with desired ingredients, such as a water purifyingchemical, a flavor ingredient, electrolytes, medicines and so forth. Apump may be used to deliver water from a water supply into the pouchwhile the pouch is supported within the bottle.

More generally described, the invention may be implemented as a drinkingbottle or a bottle cap for a drinking bottle. The bottle cap includes acap body that is configured for attachment to the bottle portion of thedrinking bottle. The bottle cap also includes a drinking conduit throughthe cap body, and a first one-way vent located in the cap body forallowing air to enter the drinking bottle while fluid exits the bottle.The bottle cap may also include a second one-way valve located in thedrinking conduit to prevent spillage of the fluid through the drinkingconduit. For example, the bottle cap may be configured as a pull-up typebottle cap or as a flip-top bottle cap.

The invention may also be practiced as a drinking bottle including abottle portion, a lid configured for attachment to the bottle portion,and a drinking conduit through the lid. The drinking bottle alsoincludes a first one-way valve located in the lid or bottle portion forallowing air to enter the drinking bottle while fluid exits the drinkingconduit under the force of gravity at a desired fluid flow rate. Inaddition, the first one-way valve may be adjustable to produce thedesired fluid flow rate. The drinking bottle may also include a secondone-way valve located in the drinking conduit to prevent spillage offluid inside the drinking bottle through the drinking conduit. In aparticular embodiment, the lid is configured as a funnel.

The invention may also be practiced as a drinking bottle and pouchsystem. The system includes a drinking bottle and a bottle cap thatincludes a drinking conduit. The bottle cap may be attached to thebottle portion of the drinking bottle and includes a straw that isconfigured to be placed in communication with the drinking conduit andextending from the underside of the bottle cap. The system also includesa pouch that has a pouch enclosure; one or more elongated wings, and astraw receptacle. The pouch is configured to be supported within thedrinking bottle with the wings supported between the bottle portion ofthe drinking bottle and the bottle cap with the straw extending throughthe straw receptacle into the pouch.

In addition, the bottle cap typically includes a bottle attachmentmember that is removably attachable to the drinking bottle and adrinking member that is removably attachable to the bottle attachmentmember. The bottle attachment member is configured, when the drinkingmember is removed from the bottle attachment member, to receive a supplytube for delivering a fluid into the pouch while the pouch is supportedwithin the drinking bottle. And the drinking member is configured to beattached to the bottle attachment member after the pouch has been filledwith fluid. The bottle cap also typically includes a first one-way valvelocated in the cap body for allowing air to enter the drinking bottlewhile fluid exits the bottle, and a second one-way valve located in thedrinking conduit to prevent spillage of the fluid through the drinkingconduit. The system may also include a pump for delivering a fluid froma fluid supply into the pouch by way of the supply tube.

The specific techniques and structures for implementing particularembodiments of the vented bottle cap and associated pouch system, andthereby accomplishing the advantages described above, will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments andthe appended drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a drinking bottle with a pull-up type vented,no-spill bottle cap in a closed position.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the drinking bottle of FIG. 1 with the bottlecap in an open position.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the drinking bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a drinking bottle with a flip-top type vented,no-spill bottle cap in a closed position.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the drinking bottle of FIG. 4 with the bottlecap in an open position.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the drinking bottle of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 illustrates a drinking bottle and pouch system.

FIG. 8 further illustrates the drinking bottle and pouch system of FIG.7.

FIG. 9 shows a vented drinking vessel with a vent located near thebottom.

FIG. 10 shows a first type of one-way valve.

FIG. 11 shows a first type of one-way valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the figures, in which like numerals refer to likeelements throughout the several figures, FIG. 1 is a side view of adrinking bottle 10 with a bottle cap 12 in a closed position FIG. 2shows this drinking bottle with the bottle cap in an open position, andFIG. 3 is a top view of the drinking bottle. The drinking bottle 10includes a pull-up type vented, no-spill bottle cap 12 which, as notedabove, is shown in the closed position in FIG. 1 and in the openposition in FIG. 2. The drinking bottle 10 also includes a bottleportion 14 to which the cap may be attached, typically through ascrew-on or snap-on attachment. The bottle cap 12 includes a drinkingmember 16 engaged with a bottle attachment member 18. The drinkingmember 16 slides up with respect to the bottle attachment member 18 toopen a drinking conduit through the bottle cap 12, and slides down withrespect to the bottle attachment member to close the drinking conduit.That is, the drinking bottle 10 is a conventional sports bottle asdescribed thus far.

To implement the vented feature of the drinking bottle 10, the bottleattachment member 18 includes a first one-way valve 20 that allows airto enter the drinking bottle as fluid exits the bottle. This prevents avacuum from forming inside the bottle while a user drinks from thebottle. In addition, to implement the no-spill feature of the drinkingbottle, the drinking member 16 may also include a second one-way valve22 in the drinking conduit to prevent spillage of fluid through thedrinking conduit.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional soft drink or water drinkingbottle 30 with a flip-top type vented, no-spill cap 34 in a closedposition. FIG. 5 is shows this same bottle with the bottle cap in anopen position, and FIG. 6 is a top view of the drinking bottle. Thebottle 30 includes a bottle portion 32 and a bottle cap 34. As shownbest in FIG. 5, the drinking cap 34 also includes a first one-way valve38 for venting the bottle, and may also include a second one-way valve40 for preventing spillage from the bottle. Of course, the cap 34 couldbe implemented with only the first one-way valve 38 for venting thebottle. The cap 34 may also be covered with a removable layer of plasticto prevent air leakage during storage and shipping prior to opening ofthe bottle for consumption. Alternatively or additionally, foil or othersuitable removable seals may be placed over the vent openings to furtherprevent air leakage. For this embodiment, the threaded neck portion ofthe bottle 30 requires venting to the inside of the bottle, which can beimplemented in any effective manner including, for example, a holethrough the side of the neck or channels through the threads and overthe top of the neck.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrates a drinking bottle and pouch system 50. Thesystem includes a sports bottle such as that described with reference toFIGS. 1 through 3. In this embodiment, the drinking member 52 separatesfrom the bottle attachment member 53 to expose a supply tube receptacleon the top of the bottle attachment member. The bottle attachment memberalso includes a short straw that is in communication with the drinkingconduit through the bottle cap, and which is also configured to extendinto the bottle for entry into a pouch 60 when the pouch is supportedwithin the bottle portion 58.

The pouch 60 may be a foil, plastic or any other suitable type of pouch.In addition, any suitable type of mechanism may be used to support thepouch with in the drinking bottle. The pouch may carry any type ofdesired ingredient 62, such a water purifying chemical, a flavoringredient, electrolytes, medicines and so forth. In a preferredembodiment, for example, the pouch 60 includes a pouch body 64, twowings 66 a and 66 b that extend from the pouch body, and a rigid supportfor a straw opening 70. The bottle attachment member 53 includes a shortstraw 57 that is in communication with the drinking conduit, and whichextends downward. The pouch is inserted into the bottle portion 58 withthe wings extending out the top of the bottle portion and held taughtwhile the bottle attachment member 53 is screwed or snapped onto thebottle portion 58. This holds the pouch 60 firmly in place with thestraw 74 extending through the pouch straw opening 70.

The bottle attachment member 53 also includes a supply tube receptacle56 which allows the user to connect a supply tube 54 a to the bottleattachment member for filling the pouch 60 with a fluid, typicallywater. As shown in FIG. 8, the user typically fills the pouch with apump 80 that is connected on one side to the supply tube 54 a and on theother side to the supply tube 54 b. The supply tube 54 b is extendedinto a fluid supply 82, such as a container or running stream. The pumpincludes first one-way valve to direct the fluid from the supply tube 54b into the pump on an upstroke of the plunger, and a second one-wayvalve to direct fluid held within the pump into the supply tube 54 a.With the supply tube 54 b extending into the fluid supply 82, the userraises and then lowers the pump plunger to fill the foil pouch. The pump80 may also include screens and filters to clean the fluid passingthrough the pump.

FIG. 9 shows a vented drinking vessel 110 with a vent located near thebottom of the bottle As shown in FIG. 9, the vented drinking vessel ispreferably formed of two major components, the container 112 withattached vent tube 120, and the funnel shaped cap 116 with attachedcurved straw 118. However, those, skilled in the art will recognize thatother configurations are possible, such as a configuration in which thecurved straw 118 separates from the funnel shaped cap 116. Similarly,the vent tube 120 may detach from the container 112 if desired. Inaddition, it may be desirable for the curved straw 118 to flex intodifferent positions or rotate with respect to the funnel shaped cap 116,or to be fixed in an orientation curving away from the vent tube 120, tofacilitate drinking from the vessel when the vent tube 120 is notregulated by a valve.

To prevent spillage, the vented drinking vessel may also include a checkvalve 126 associated with the curved straw 118 and/or a one-way valve128 associated with the vent tube 120. FIG. 10 is a perspective view ofone embodiment of the check valve 126. In this example, the check valve126 may be a silicon or other suitable type of valve with a curveddiaphragm having a slit which remains closed except when a pressure isapplied by sucking on the curved straw 118 or squeezing the container112. The check valve 126 is typically located along the curved straw118, for example at the end as shown in FIG. 9 or at the base of thestraw adjacent to the funnel shaped cap 116. It should be noted that thecheck valve 126 will prevent a large spill if the vessel is knockedover, but a small amount of fluid may escape from the vent tube 120 whenthe vessel is knocked over if a one-way valve is not is not placed inthe vent tube. Moreover, the check valve 126 will not prevent a personfrom spilling fluid through the vent tube 120 by blowing into the curvedstraw 118.

Alternatively or additionally, the vessel 110 may include a one-wayvalve 128, such as a silicon or other suitable type of duck-bill valve,in communication with the interior of the vessel. FIG. 11 is aperspective view of one embodiment of the one-way valve 128. The one-wayvalve 128 prevents fluid inside the container from escaping through thevent tube 120 but does not inhibit the flow of fluid through the curvedstraw 118. The one-way valve 128 will prevent substantially all spillagethrough the vent tube 120, and will also prevent a person from spillingfluid through the vent tube by blowing into the curved straw 118. Thismay be desirable, for example, with small children. The one-way valve128 may be located anywhere along the vent tube 120, for example at theend of the vent tube or in the vent opening 114 as shown in FIG. 9.

If the one-way valve 128 is located in the vent opening 114, the venttube 120 may be replaced by a solid handle including a port adjacent toand in communication with the vent opening 114. Further, for theembodiment with a one-way valve 128 in the vent opening 114, the ventopening and one-way valve need not be associated with the handle, andcould be located anywhere in communication with the interior of thecontainer 112. For example, the vent opening 114 and one-way valve 128could be located in the bottom of the container 112, side of thecontainer, or in the funnel shaped cap 116.

It should also be appreciated that selecting an inlet valve 128 with adesired flow rate or providing an adjustable inlet valve will regulatethe air flow rate through the valve and thus control the rate of fluidflow through the bottle under the force of gravity. This will allow thevent system to be customized for various applications. In particular,the inlet valve may be selected or set to regulate the fluid flow ratethrough the bottle at a level that cannot be harmful to a persondrinking from the bottle. The inlet valve may also be adjustable withsettings appropriate for children and adults. An engineer skilled in theart of bottle design will be readily able to select the proper type ofvalve and air flow rate for a desired application.

In addition, the vented and no-spill drinking bottle may be implementedas a bottle cap that can be used with existing conventional sportsbottles and other bottles. In addition, the drinking bottle andassociated pouch system provides many advantages for joggers, bikers,hikers, campers, hunters and everyday drinkers of fluids. The pouchsystem also provides an innovative way for drink suppliers to offerproducts through pouches containing dry ingredients, or a small amountof concentrated liquid ingredients, without incurring the cost ofshipping the fluid. Hikers, campers and hunters will certainlyappreciate not having to pack the bulk of the fluid for their drinks. Itshould also be appreciated that the vented drinking bottle and pouchsystem provides a convenient way to administer medicine to a sick childor an injured individual, sugar to a diabetic “gone low.” The venteddrinking bottle can also be used to expel a stream of fluid by squeezingthe bottle, for example to irrigate and sterilize a wound, clean acontact lens, provide a drink to a dog, and so forth. Many other uses ofthe bottle and pouch system will become apparent as the technology isused in the community.

With respect to the one-way valves used in the bottle caps for thesports bottles described above, it has been found that a siliconduck-bill valve with a flange and indentation for holding the valve inplace works well in these applications. For the soda bottle capembodiment, flat slitted diaphragm valves are presently considered to bethe best alternative. However, other types of suitable one-way valvesmay be used. It should also be appreciated that locating the one-wayvalve for the air vent in the bottle portion of the container isfunctionally equivalent to locating it within the bottle cap. Othervariations of the basic designs shown in the preferred embodiments willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art of bottle design.

In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that present inventionprovides significant improvements in drinking bottles and, moreparticularly, in a vented, no-spill cap for a sports bottle and anassociated pouch system. It should be understood that the foregoingrelates only to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, andthat numerous changes may be made to these examples without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the followingclaims.

1. A bottle cap suitable for use with a conventional drinking bottle,comprising: a cap body configured for attachment to the drinking bottle;a drinking conduit through the cap body; and a first one-way ventlocated in the cap body for allowing air to enter the drinking bottlewhile fluid exits the bottle.
 2. The bottle cap of claim 1, furthercomprising a second one-way valve located in the drinking conduit toprevent spillage of the fluid through the drinking conduit.
 3. Thebottle cap of claim 1, configured as a pull-up type bottle cap.
 4. Thebottle cap of claim 1, further comprising a flip-top appendage hinged tothe bottle cap and movable between an open position and a closedposition, the flip-top appendage configured to cover the first one-wayvalve when the appendage is in the closed position and to uncover thefirst one-way valve when the appendage is in the open position.
 5. Thebottle cap of claim 2, further comprising a flip-top appendage hinged tothe bottle cap and movable between an open position and a closedposition, the flip-top appendage configured to cover the first andsecond one-way valves when the appendage is in the closed position andto uncover the first and second one-way valves when the appendage is inthe open position.
 6. A drinking bottle comprising: a bottle portion; alid configured for attachment to the bottle portion; a drinking conduitthrough the lid; and a first one-way valve located in the lid or bottleportion for allowing air to enter the drinking bottle while fluid exitsthe drinking conduit under the force of gravity at a desired fluid flowrate.
 7. The drinking bottle of claim 6, wherein the first one-way valveis adjustable to produce the desired fluid flow rate.
 8. The drinkingbottle of claim 6, further comprising a second one-way valve located inthe drinking conduit to prevent spillage of fluid inside the drinkingbottle through the drinking conduit.
 9. The drinking bottle of claim 6,wherein the lid is configured as a funnel.
 10. The drinking bottle ofclaim 6, wherein the lid further comprises a flip-top appendage hingedto the bottle cap and movable between an open position and a closedposition, the flip-top appendage configured to cover the first one-wayvalve when the appendage is in the closed position and to uncover thefirst one-way valve when the appendage is in the open position.
 11. Thedrinking bottle of claim 8, wherein the lid further comprises a flip-topappendage hinged to the bottle cap and movable between an open positionand a closed position, the flip-top appendage configured to cover thefirst and second one-way valves when the appendage is in the closedposition and to uncover the first and second one-way valves when theappendage is in the open position.
 12. A drinking bottle and pouchsystem, comprising: a drinking bottle; a bottle cap comprising adrinking conduit, the bottle cap being attachable to the drinking bottleand having a straw in communication with the drinking conduit andextending from an underside of the bottle cap; a pouch comprising apouch enclosure; one or more elongated wings, and a straw receptacle;the pouch configured to be supported within the drinking bottle with thewings supported between the drinking bottle and the bottle cap and thestraw extending through the straw receptacle into the pouch.
 13. Thedrinking bottle and pouch system of claim 12, wherein: the bottle capcomprises a bottle attachment member that is removably attachable to thedrinking bottle and a drinking member that is removably attachable tothe bottle attachment member, and the bottle attachment member isconfigured, when the drinking member is removed from the bottleattachment member, to receive a supply tube for delivering a fluid intothe pouch while the pouch is supported within the drinking bottle; andthe drinking member is configured to be attached to the bottleattachment member after the pouch has been filled with fluid.
 14. Thedrinking bottle and pouch system of claim 12, wherein the bottle capfurther comprises a first one-way vent located in the cap body forallowing air to enter the drinking bottle while fluid exits the bottle.15. The drinking bottle and pouch system of claim 14, wherein the bottlecap further comprises second one-way valve located in the drinkingconduit to prevent spillage of the fluid through the drinking conduit.16. The drinking bottle and pouch system of claim 13, further comprisinga pump for delivering a fluid from a fluid supply into the pouch by wayof the supply tube.